BEREA, Ohio -- Hue Jackson couldn't bring himself to endorse a rebuilding plan on Monday that's resulted in an 0-10 record this season and 1-25 since last year, second-worst start for a coach in NFL history.

"I really don't want to get into that,'' said Jackson, when asked if the plan is working. "Again, I think you guys are the best judges of that right now. Everybody speculates on it. This is what I want to do -- I want to coach our football team to get better.

"My job is to do everything I can to help these players, these coaches be the best they can be and obviously with a 1-24 record, or whatever it is, it's not been pretty good, so that's where I'm going to continue to put my focus.''

Jackson, who was invited to a meeting that Jimmy and Dee Haslam conducted last Monday with about 12 players on the leadership council -- and presumably minus Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown -- stressed that it's not his place to evaluate the plan, one that involved a teardown that he was never told about when he was hired.

The Plan, of course, somehow let Carson Wentz, who's now 9-1 and an NFL MVP candidate, and Deshaun Watson slip through the Browns' fingers in the last two drafts. It let players such as Tashaun Gipson, Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz, Joe Haden and Taylor Gabriel walk out the door.

"I don't think the plan that's in place, let me say this, my job is not to say it is or isn't (working),'' he said. "My job is to coach the football team, that's what I was hired here to do. I wasn't hired here with a plan. I was hired here to coach this football team and get them to be the best I can get them to be and that's what I want to concentrate on.''

"I'm not interested in talking about a plan,'' he said. "I don't want to talk about a plan. I want to talk about our football team and coaching this team and getting them better.''

He continued, "That's my attitude and my attitude's not going to change. I'm going to keep telling you the same thing. And I'm not mad at you, I'm not mad at anybody in this room, but I'm not talking about no plan. I'm talking about coaching our team. That's all I'm going to do.''

He also struggled to give voice to his embarassing record, especially after going 8-8 in Oakland in 2011 and building his reputation as a quarterback expert and offensive coordinator.

"We are 1-what? What is this record? 1-25? Lord, have mercy,'' he said. "I try not to even think about how many it has been.''

Still, he said the players never press him on what The Plan is and where it's going.

"They ask me about 'what do we got to do to win, Coach?' That's it,'' he said. "So I do everything for those guys. There hasn't been a player that wanted to ask me anything about a plan, other than what's the gameplan for the week, that's it.''

He said whatever the players wanted to know about the plan, "that was answered by ownership the other day. You guys mentioned the meeting. So whatever that was that they were feeling, I think that group feels better about where they're headed and what we're trying to accomplish.''

Despite the fact Jackson didn't want to discuss The Plan, he assured folks there is one.

"I'm very appreciative that Dee and Jimmy would talk to the players about what they feel, what they see and what they want,'' he said. "I will say this to all involved, that there is a plan in place and they want to win and they expect this organization to win and for it to be better. And they're going to get it that way. I truly believe that with all my being.

"It's hard right now for all involved, and people don't get it. I get all that, too. And it's hard for me, it's hard for our players, hard for everybody. But at the same time, when management tells you that we're going to do this and we're going to get there and here's a plan, then that says a lot. And it was very appreciative, I think, from the players.''

Jackson, who believes he still has the full support of the Haslams, acknowledged that 1-25 is tough to take. What's more, the Browns set a new futility record on Sunday with the worst 47-game stretch in NFL history at 4-43, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Since the Haslams agreed to purchase the team in 2012, the Browns have gone 20-70, with double-digit losses in five of those six seasons.

"I'm not running from this, it's part of my arrival. And it p--ses me off,'' Jackson said. "I'd be the first to tell you that. I never envisioned this in my life, being 1-25 as the head football coach. I don't wish this on anybody. It's not what I want it to be. It's not what the players want it to be. It's not what Dee and Jimmy want it to be.

"It's not what anybody here wants it to be, but we've earned this. I'm going to say it again, whatever record we have, we have earned in this organization. And the only thing we can do is do everything in our power to change it. And that's what we have to do.''

He said he 'thinks' the Haslams still believe in the plan, "until they tell you otherwise, because this is where we are. It's painful. I'm sure it's painful for them. I'm not trying to answer for them. It's painful for all involved, but this is where we are. There's no new players coming in. We've got to fight our way out and that's what it is.

Jackson's telling remarks come as he heads down to Cincinnati on Sunday to take on the 4-6 Bengals, a team that tried to convince him to stay after the 2015 season to be the heir apparent to Marvin Lewis.

Instead, he came here with the promise to "chase a greatness'' and win a Super Bowl.

With Lewis in the final year of his contract and his career winding down, the subject of whether or not Jackson would've been better off staying in Cincinnati will come up.

What's more, would Bengals owner Mike Brown hire him to replace Lewis if he goes winless here this season and the Haslams make wholesale changes?

At least one person walked out of the meeting with the Haslams believing they won't blow things up despite starting 0-10 for the second straight season and only the second time in club history.

"As far as I know, I think they're sticking with the plan,'' said left guard Joel Bitonio. "That's all I know. I mean, I'm just a player, but from what I've seen, we're trying to stick with the plan and keep building.''

Jackson's remarks also come amid rumors that Haslam will pursue good friend Peyton Manning to help him dig out of this rubble, although sources have told cleveland.com that Haslam hasn't reached out.

As for The Plan and where this is all going, Jackson said he'll leave it to others to evaluate.

"Guys, things aren't great,'' he said. "Let's be honest. When it's one (victory) like it is, I'm not going to run from that, but I'm not judging the plan, I've got to coach.''